Alice Aird's Blog (68)

This link will take you to one of the many articles pointing out that empathy is not universally beneficial. Of course not! Every good thing can be used in the wrong place or the wrong way. It's good to have these explorations of the uses of empathy, and this is a useful article, definitely worth reading. I just hope that empathy doesn't get a bad press and go out of fashion! …

This excellent TIME.com article about Dr Gabor Mate's work with addicts will make anyone with an interest in addiction want to read more. If you're wondering: Does addiction anything to do with me? see quotes below.

You'll find empathy popping up all through the Stanford Design School approach. It's "human-centred" and

Edwin Rutsch of the Centre for the Culture of Empathy (who I am meeting with in an Empathy Circle every week) is integrating these design approaches into our development of the Empathy Circles and Empathy Workshop.

I've been very impressed recently by Dr Dan Siegel's work, on many levels. I've been particularly fascinated by the similarities which he spotted between the effect on the pre-frontal cortex of the brain of secure attachment and of mindfulness practices. Absolutely fascinating. I highly recommend reading his book Mindsight - very illuminating about the nature of the pre-frontal cortex, which is the neurological centre of empathy.

Here are some things parents have said about how Heart to Heart has changed their parenting experience:

I feel harmony just being in the house with my children these days. I’m really getting how to do this! Even when it changes, as parenting does all the time, and I find myself not knowing what to do, I come back to my heart and remember things I’ve learned and I find the next step to…

I've been very thrilled to discover child psychologist Dr Ross Greene's work. Go to http://www.livesinthebalance.org/ to learn what he offers kids, parents and teachers of "challenging kids" - these kids who've been so misunderstood and judged. Dr Greene's "Plan B", is a collaborative problem solving approach which starts with empathy in action and leads to a solution that works for both child and…

This is the video which gives the main messages of Robin Grille's seminal book Parenting for a Peaceful World. It's no substitute for reading the book though! If this interests you do look at the book itself. See reviews in this blog by searching on Robin Grille.